Penstemon plant named ‘Cha Cha Purple’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Penstemon  plant characterized by medium size red purple flowers in dense clusters, long bloom time, a compact, upright, well branched habit, with multiple crown from the base, clean-looking, deep green, attractive foliage, and excellent vigor.

Botanical denomination: Penstemon hybrid.

Variety designation: ‘Cha Cha Purple’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Penstemon, given the name, ‘Cha Cha Purple’. Penstemon is in the family Scrophulariaceae. This plant originated in a controlled breeding plan to create a compact, upright, medium size, multiflowered series. The exact parents are unknown, unnamed proprietary plants. This cultivar was selected for its compact growing habit, medium size flowers in dense clusters, long flowering time, vigor, and clean attractive look. It is an ideal plant for a sunny border in full sun.

Compared to Penstemon ‘Grape Taffy’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,567, the new cultivar has smaller more numerous flowers with no white eye, and smaller, narrower leaves.

Compared to Penstemon ‘Boysenberry Taffy’, U.S. Plant Patent No. applied for, the new cultivar smaller more numerous flowers that are more red purple than purple, and smaller, narrower leaves.

Compared to Penstemon ‘Burgundy’, an unpatented plant, the new cultivar is hardier with smaller more numerous flowers, and smaller, narrower leaves.

Penstemon ‘Cha Cha Purple’ is uniquely distinguished by its:

-   -   1. medium size red purple flowers in dense clusters,     -   2. long bloom time,     -   3. compact, upright, well branched habit, with multiple crown         from the base,     -   4. clean-looking, deep green, attractive foliage, and     -   5. excellent vigor.

The new variety has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (cuttings and micropropagation). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by cuttings and micropropagation using terminal and lateral shoots as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a close up of the new cultivar as a 10 month old in the trial field in full bloom in mid July in Canby, Oreg.

FIG. 2 shows the habit of the same 10 month-old plant.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Penstemon cultivar based on observations of 18 month-old specimens grown outside in five gallon containers in full sun in Canby, Oreg. in October. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition, 2007.

-   Plant:     -   -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.         -   Form.—Upright, branching.         -   Cold hardiness.—USDA Zone 7-10.         -   Size.—Grows to 50 cm wide and 54 cm high.         -   Vigor.—Excellent.         -   Stem number.—About 12 main stems from the crown.         -   Stem strength.—Strong.         -   Stem.—Upright, grows to 49 cm long and 1 cm wide (at the             base), glabrous at base to glandular pubescent toward             peduncle, internodes grow to 3.5 cm long, Yellow Green 146C             where shaded and tinted Red Purple 59B where in sun.         -   Roots and rooting.—Fibrous root system, White 155C, roots             easily from stem cuttings in 10 to 14 days. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—Simple.         -   Arrangement.—Opposite.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Venation.—Pinnate, main vein on top and bottom side Yellow             Green 146C.         -   Margins.—Serrulate.         -   Apex.—Acuminate.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Petiole.—None, sessile.         -   Blade size.—Grows to 9 cm long and 1.4 cm wide.         -   Surface texture.—Glabrous on both sides.         -   Leaf color.—Topside Green 137A, bottom side closest to             Yellow Green 146A. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Terminal, many flowered, dense thyrse.         -   Number of flowers per inflorescence.—25 to 33.         -   Size of inflorescence.—Grows to 15 cm long and 8 cm wide.         -   Peduncle.—Strong, upright, grows to 2 cm long and 2.5 mm             wide, pubescent, Yellow Green 146C where shaded and tinted             Greyed Purple 187A where in sun.         -   Pedicel.—Medium strength, grows semi-upright to 1 cm long             and 1 mm wide, pubescent, Yellow Green 146C in shade and             lightly tinted Greyed Purple 187B where in sun.         -   Bloom period.—Mid June to frost in October in Canby, Oreg.             if spent flowers are removed. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Size.—3.5 cm long and 12 mm wide.         -   Description.—Closed tubular, bulging, flattened ventrically,             pubescent.         -   Color.—Purple 77A with tip 83B. -   Flower:     -   -   Type.—Zygomorphic, perfect.         -   Shape.—Tubular, bilabiate.         -   Size.—Grows to 3.8 cm long and 3.2 cm wide.         -   Corolla description.—Grows to 3.8 cm long and 3.2 cm wide;             tube is bulbous in the calyx for 6 mm long and 5 mm wide,             narrowing then widening for 21 mm and flaring to 32 mm wide,             5 lobes, the two smaller top lobes flare back (each 8 mm             wide and to 10 mm deep) and two larger lateral lobes curl             back (16 mm wide and 15 mm deep), and the lower lobe flares             curls back slightly (13 mm wide and 13 mm deep), lobes             overlap, lobe margins entire to slightly jagged, tips             obtuse; outside glandular pubescent, inside sparsely             pubescent; outside color Purple 77A, inside color lobes             Purple 77A with edges N77A and base of lower 3 lobes N77A             changing to bee tracks in tube N77A, inside tube color 76D.         -   Calyx description.—10 mm deep and 9 mm wide, 5 overlapping             lobes cut to the base, each lobe broadly ovate in shape, 10             mm deep and 6 mm wide, margins variable (entire, notched and             trident), tip acuminate, base cuneate, outside Yellow Green             146C tinted Greyed Purple 187A where in sun and on margins,             inside Yellow Green 146C, glabrous inside and glandular             pubescent outside.         -   Pistil description.—1, 35 mm long, ovary 6 mm long and 2 mm             wide, Yellow Green 146D; style 29 mm long and less than 1 mm             wide, style Purple N78A lighting toward tip, stigma shape             conical, White NN155C.         -   Stamen description.—5, one sterile without an anther, held             within the corolla 29 mm long, filaments 23 to 30 mm long             and White NN155C, anthers oval, 2 mm long, Greyed Purple             N186A, pollen amount moderate, White NN155C.         -   Fragrance.—None.         -   Lastingness.—A flower lasts 5 to 6 days. -   Fruit:     -   -   Type.—Capsule.         -   Fertility.—Good.         -   Size.—7 mm deep and 1 mm wide.         -   Texture.—Pubescent.         -   Color.—Brown N199C. -   Seed:     -   -   Shape.—Irregular.         -   Size.—2 mm long.         -   Texture.—Glabrous.         -   Color.—Brown 200A. -   Pests and diseases: The new cultivar is typical to the genus. No     problems have been found in Canby, Oreg. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Penstemon plant substantially as shown and described. 